Are they actually updating some of the old UI this time? Usually they just add a new version of some UI, with less features than the original, so you often have to dig back through layers of Windows versions to find the option you want.
I am most familiar with the sound panel, as I keep having to tweak my inputs and outputs cause windows likes to forget I don't want sound coming out of the speakers, for example.
Right click on the volume widget in the tray next to the clock -> sound settings -> related settings pane, "Sound Control Panel". This gets you the tried and true sound control panel we know and love.
You can also short circuit this, by selecting "sounds" from the right click menu on the volume widget, as this brings you to the same XP era sound control panel, just on the sounds tab rather than playback or recording. Its all such a mess.
To Windows XP style
Settings -> Searching Windows -> Indexer Options -> Advanced Options -> Index Location [Select new]
To Windows 2k/9x holdovers.
Settings -> Network and Internet -> Ethernet => Networking and Sharing Center -> Network Connections -> *Any connection